Deer numbers down

Iowa Public Radio's Pat Blank reports deer numbers are the lowest since 2003.

Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley was in a car that hit a deer last month and that was the beginning of a series of tweets to see if other Iowans have had similar experiences this fall. Senator Grassley says in addition to the vehicle crash, he began noticing a significant amount of dead deer along the highway.

Department of Natural Resources deer biologist Tom Litchfield admits there are certain pockets in the state where there are high concentrations of deer, but for the most part

in the past three years especially, statistics show fewer animals and therefore, less accidents.

And although Senator Grassley is advocating for a longer deer hunting season, Litchfield says it’s likely to become shorter beginning as early as next year. The first of Iowa’s two shotgun deer seasons begins tomorrow. (Saturday)